Extra Dry
by MidnightMoon2005
Summary: Movie-verse. Will most likely become a set of OneShots based on the list of prompts found at the LiveJournal Pepperony100 200 community. Rating may change.
1. An Extra Push

**Title:** An Extra Push  
**Theme: **#5 -- Blue at the LiveJournal Pepperony100 community  
**Rating: **PG**  
Summary: **Tony crashes his own party, and Pepper doesn't know what to do.

Scene taken from the movie -- I stayed as loyal as I could.

* * *

Pepper tried to busy herself with the many guests in the ballroom. She was there for Tony _and_ herself, and silently she wished she had an easier job than representing two people. She walked carefully, able to feel eyes on her as she walked, even if no one was, in fact looking at her. Nervously she made her way to a group of associates, and to her surprise found the relaxed atmosphere between the four of them, ease her nerves as well. She watched Nick, a man fairly new to Stark Industries, animated as he told a story about his family's brief, but fun, camping trip that had taken place the previous weekend. She couldn't help but smile at his obvious love and adoration for his family…then she felt the hairs stick up on the back of her neck, the ripple spreading to her stomach, bursting into butterflies. Smoothing the front of her light blue dress, she looked to her right to find her boss approaching. She groaned inwardly, wishing he wasn't there…wishing she hadn't been spotted.

"Miss Potts…" he began, his voice quiet.

"Mr. Stark…" she nearly exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged indifferently, his eyes never leaving hers, "Thought I'd make an appearance."

Pepper then realized she was holding her breath, not sure what to make of the situation.

"Quite a scene isn't it?" she said, fighting to calm her nerves; her eyes leaving his to silently gesture to the rest of the room.

He laughed quietly, "yes it is…would you like to dance?"

Her eyes snapped back, locking on his, wide, scared of what to say next, wondering if yes or no would really matter in his mind as to what would happen next.

"Oh…no… I don't think—"

"Oh come on…" he said, taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

Reluctantly she followed him, swearing everyone was watching. He turned to face her, one hand resting on the small of her back, drawing her closer, or as close as he assumed she'd allow him to be…the other taking her hand. Pepper wasn't sure what it was, but something was so distinctly _uncomfortable _about the whole situation. Carefully, but trying to be subtle, she avoided any unnecessary contact, including sight. She thought she was carrying herself well, until he spoke, breaking her train of thought.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" He asked, and she swore he almost sounded hurt.

As she opened her mouth to say something, he looked at her, eyebrows raised, anticipating her answer.

"No…no…" she began, unable to hide the half laugh that escaped her throat, "I always forget to wear deodorant and dance with my boss…not to mention this insane dress."

"Well…it looks great…" he said, and then leaned to whisper in her ear, "and you smell wonderful."

She closed her eyes against the feeling of his breath against her neck, and involuntarily shivered. Swallowing hard, she tried to regain focus, focus on being strong, and the assistant to the most undeniably charming business tycoon. She thought she was doing an ok job, until she saw him looking at her.

"And I could fire you…if that would take the edge off…" he added almost like an afterthought, a smug grin playing at his lips.

He looked directly in her eyes, daring her to hold his gaze, his own eyes shining with a hint of deviousness. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking and wonder if she really wanted to know at the same time. He swallowed slowly, and almost instantly the air shifted, and suddenly she found it hard to breathe. She averted her eyes, looking at her hand that was resting lightly on his shoulder.

"Do you want to get some air…?" he asked, sounding almost as anxious as she was feeling.

All she could do was nod, and let him take her by the hand, and lead her outside. Once outside she didn't miss a beat, she began scolding him, half because she was undeniably annoyed at his blatant attempt to seduce her in _public _(not that it hadn't happened before), and the fact that she had just danced close to the one man she'd fought so hard to distance herself from.

"It was completely harmless!" He exclaimed, raising his arms in mock surrender.

"It was _not_...completely harmless…" she countered, her jaw set defensively.

He smiled, the smile she'd come to identify when he was _completely _amused, "why not?"

"Because you're you!"

Her sudden outburst seemed to wipe the goofy grin from his face, but not his eyes, "And?"

"Well…everyone knows how you are with women…" she began, pausing briefly to collect her thoughts, "Which is fine, I don't have a problem with that, but you're my _boss_, and I don't want people getting the wrong idea."

"It was just _one_ dance…not a big deal; I guarantee no one was even paying attention."

She sighed; the exasperation flowing through her system was getting to be too much to take. She looked back at him, her posture rigid, tense.

"Why do you care what they think?" he asked, softly.

"Because we _work_ together…"

Her eyes locked on his again, and immediately the butterflies returned, making her stomach flip. Breathing slowly, to calm the overwhelming swell of emotions now flowing through her system, she leaned into him, her eyes fluttering closed. Not even looking at Tony, she realized what she was about to do, and immediately her eyes shot open, an in an instant she felt him stiffen as well.

"…I'm going to need a drink…"

"Sure." His response came out short and choked.

"Vodka martini, extra dry…extra olives…" she said, trying to regain her composure, "at least three olives."

"Coming right up…" he said, and with that he was gone. She stood there, watching the sky shimmer, trying to shake the lingering anxiousness from her body and mind.

* * *

AN: This will not be my last one shot...as I become inspired, they will all be added to this story. Please R&R!


	2. Twist Of Fate

**Title:** Twist of Fate  
**Author: **Liz (leau08)  
**Theme: **#9 – Gold  
**Rating: **PG/K  
**Length: **1500  
**Summary: **Pepper stops at Tony's mansion after an unfortunate date.

**A/N:** I don't own anything.

Pepper limped up the few steps to the Stark mansion, wincing every time she put weight on her left foot. She'd been rushing about town, trying to escape the failure that had become her life. She'd become so involved with Tony, and Stark industries that she'd forgotten to carry on her own life. Everything that mattered to her, and her _personally_, screeched to a halt as soon as she signed the contract with Stark Industries; _especially_ any hope of romance. On many occasions she wished she'd made different choices, but now that she was where she was…it didn't matter so much. _Finally…_ she muttered to herself, typing in the security code, after inserting her key into the front door. Managing to enter the house somewhat gracefully in the darkness, she stopped suddenly, realizing what she had on. Groaning inwardly she cursed that his house was so much closer than her own to where this… _man_…if he deserved that title, had wanted to meet. She had on a chocolate brown dress, it's hemline touching just above the knee, and stupid and dangerously high stilettos, painted a metallic gold color. She could almost see his smirk already. Her ankle was persistently throbbing confined in the buckles of the shoes, forcing her, in spite of the discomfort, to limp to the couch, instead of the freezer for ice.

"Ms. Potts?" She heard his voice and nearly jumped out of her skin. Luckily she was already sitting down, so she could attempt to hide her genuine shock.

"Easy…didn't mean to scare you…" Tony said, a hint of a smile lingering in his tone.

"_God_, Tony…you know I hate it when you sneak up on me," Pepper responded.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked, now leaning on the wall next to her, his normal grin dancing across his features. She looked up at him, shocked he'd noticed her limp so quickly.

"It's these damn shoes," she said, gesturing to the shoe with a four inch heel attached, "they're _killing _my feet….and I think my ankle might be sprained."

He moved to sit down on the couch next to her, and let out a soft, short whistle, "Wow…Ms. Potts, I'm surprised to see you with color in your wardrobe…what's the occasion?"

"I was on…" she began, holding her breath slightly, "a date, if you must know."

She swore his features tightened and softened at the same time, and for the first time in a while, she had no idea what he was thinking. She knew he'd grown protective of her over the last couple years, and the thought of how much she meant to him gave her a familiar feeling in her gut, known as butterflies to most.

"Here…gimme your foot..." he said, completely ignoring what she'd just said, when she hesitated, he insisted, "come on…I won't bite."

"Oh…" she said, pausing, trying to figure out exactly what he was up to, "alright." She shifted her weight, leaning into the couch and carefully lifted her left ankle so it rested on his knee. She watched his hands work to unfasten the clasp of her shoe, and with minimal trouble, her foot was free. She sighed softly at the new found release, and immediately felt herself flush as Tony shot her a lop-sided grin. She desperately tried to keep her cool as his hands started massaging her foot, and willed herself to focus on anything but the delightful sensations flowing through her body; however, whether it was from his touch or the relief from the injury, she failed miserably at ignoring them.

"So…" he began, his voice cutting into her thoughts and concentration, "What happened on this date?"

She looked at him, surprised he asked, "Uh…well…"

"Come on Pepper, we're friends, right? I'm just curious what the guy did that had you bolting away so fast that you sprained your ankle," he said, his eyes focusing on hers for the first time that night.

Pepper laughed in spite of herself, "I'm not so sure the sprain is his fault…"

"His..?" He asked, feigning injury, "I don't even get a name? That hurts…I thought you trusted me."

"Oh…I trust you…" she began, sarcasm lingering in her tone, "it's your super-hero alter ego that bothers me."

Now he laughed, the vibrations traveling through her as his knee bounced with the rhythm of his laugh. It was a sound that made her feel indescribably happy, and as much as it troubled her to admit that he'd become such an important part of her life, it was true.

"Ouch!" he said, once he gained control of his laughter, "So who was it? Who'd you see?"

She sighed, looking at him again, noticing he'd stopped massaging her ankle, "You really want to know?"

"Desperately," he said, accentuating the syllables of the word, a hint of flirtatious energy now evident in his tone.

She looked at him now, not sure how he'd react if she told him exactly who she'd seen. She didn't need things to be awkward between them, in fact, that was the last thing she'd want. With a shaky breath she said the name.

"Jake…" she muttered, and immediately she noticed a flicker of recognition across his face.

"Jake…" he repeated quietly, "the prick from accounting?"

With her silent nod, he began howling with laughter. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or insulted by his outburst, but it sure as hell was funny.

"No wonder you're home at a decent hour," he said, gasping for air, now that he'd found control again, "it's not surprising that the guy isn't good enough for you."

She felt her muscles tighten at his statement.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked through her teeth, "who, would you say, is _good _enough then?"

"Well, I'm just saying that guy can't hold an interesting conversation for more than five minutes."

She opened her mouth to counter his statement, but a smile spread across her features instead.

"Then…who would _you_ put me with, Tony?" she asked, relaxing again.

She felt her face flush as his eyes locked on hers again, and somehow she knew his answer to that question. Almost immediately she wished she could take the question back, and she almost did, until he spoke.

"Well…" he began, pausing as if to pick his words carefully, "I'd set you up with someone witty, charming, charismatic, intelligent…"

Unable to stop the smile from breaking her effort to maintain a stern expression, she said, "Don't we have quite the ego?"

She laughed when he looked shocked at her sudden insinuations, "I'm offended, Ms. Potts. That was an honest answer."

"Goodnight…_Mr._ Stark…" she said, moving to leave. However, when she put pressure on her left foot, she immediately fell backwards, her head nearly hitting Tony's nose.

"You know, _Pepper_," he said, letting the informality of her nickname hang in the air, "if you wanted to repay me for the care tonight, you just needed to say so."

It took all her control to not slap him, and she didn't even want to look at him. She knew he was smirking at her, she could feel his eyes on her.

"I…I need to get home," she whispered, moving to get up, again, ignoring the fact that his hands hadn't left her sides, in fear of her falling back into him.

"You're not going anywhere, not like this," he said, smiling.

"But…" she tried to insist, turning to leave, "I can't possibly stay here!"

She looked down at her feet, seriously debating whether she'd meant that. Was it the fact that it was her _work_ environment? That if she did indeed, spend the night, it'd be exactly the thing she needed to prove she was entirely married to her work.

"So what really happened?" Tony asked, breaking her train of thought, his normal grin surprisingly absent.

"Nothing…_really_…" Pepper said, dreading what he'd do to the guy if he found out exactly what happened.

"Come on, Pepper," he began, "I've known you far too long for you to get away with a lie."

"Tony, _really_," She said, pausing for emphasis, "nothing happened, ok?"

"Are you sure..?" he asked.

"Positive…just clumsiness, I swear," She said, "those shoes were _nuts_."

"Ok…good… I didn't want to have to kick Jake's ass for hurting you," he responded, "…if he did."

Pepper punched him in the shoulder playfully, "_Tony_…"

"I know he didn't…but the offer always stands."

In spite of herself, Pepper laughed.

"One last thing…" he asked, playfulness returning to his tone.

"Hm?"

"Why gold?" he asked, honestly curious but trying to pick a fight at the same time.

Pepper rolled her eyes; she could literally hear the grin in his voice and opted to not dignify the question with a response.

"_Goodnight_ Mr. Stark," she said, limping the few feet to the guest room.

"Goodnight, Ms. Potts."


	3. In the Beginning

**Title:** In the Beginning  
**Author: **Liz (leau08)  
**Theme: **#72 – Gift  
**Rating: **K/G  
**Length: **600  
**Summary: **Tony gives Pepper something that'll change her life.

**A/N:** I don't own anything. Also sorry for the delay, I was in Hawaii for a week...but now I'm back! Enjoy!

* * *

Pepper sighed in frustration, she hated being disorganized. Though for Pepper it was actually a new feeling for her since beginning to work for Stark Industries as Mr. Stark's personal assistant. There were meetings to keep track of, messages to take…dates to keep track of. She'd known his reputation coming into the job, but she had no idea how busy Mr. Stark actually was on a weekly, even daily basis. Within days she'd bought a FiloFax and within the week it almost couldn't close. She had no idea what she'd gotten herself into, accepting this position, but like everything she always had an air of professionalism and organization in her actions and appearance, especially when that was far from the truth.

"Pepper!" his voice shattered her thoughts instantly, "can I see you for a minute?"

She sighed, placing her lap top on the couch next to her, wondering what could possibly be wrong now. More so, she wondered how many errors went with Mr. Stark's so called "Trial and Error" way of working.

"Yes, sir..?" Pepper asked, through clenched teeth.

He looked at her, an expression bordering on quizzical playing on his features, "Sir…? You seem tense."

Pepper let out a tight laugh, "Tense would _begin_ to cover it. What was it you needed?"

"Have lunch with me."

She wasn't sure if it was a request or a demand, but it caught her off guard either way. She knew full well his reputation, and she knew in that moment that she'd have to start building resistance to his charm, starting immediately.

"_Sir_…" she began sternly but was promptly cut off by Tony.

"Tony…" he interjected, noticing her stern expression he offered, "..Mr. Stark…?"

She fought the urge to smile at his attempt to make her comfortable, but she wasn't going to budge on this one issue.

"Mr. _Stark_…I have a lot to do… so if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to keeping your life on track," she retorted, and immediately noticed it came across harsher than intended.

"Alright…" he said, his tone drawling like he was waiting for her to change her mind.

"Will that be all Mr. Stark?"

He opened his mouth to say something and Pepper raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

He let out a rough sigh, "Nothing… that will be all."

As Pepper was settling in to the couch, and getting ready to start where she'd left off, the intercom went off again.

"Pepper!"

"Yes, Mr. Stark?" She bit out the words, trying to maintain the rhythm of her concentration.

"When are we meeting with Obadiah again?"

"Huh? Oh…wait… hang on…"

"Take your time, I'll wait…" he said, and she swore she could hear traces of a smile in his voice.

"Mr. Stark, I hardly appreciate –"

"Having trouble with that FiloFax of yours?" there it was, a definite grin, "there's easier ways to keep track of appointments."

"Mr. Stark…I am _trying_…" Pepper exclaimed, exasperated, "ah…here we go, that'd be Wednesday at 9:00am sharp…anything else?"

"That will be all, Ms. Potts."

Hours later as she was heading back to her apartment she noticed a package, or plastic bag, rather, on the entry table. She couldn't hide the smile pulling at the corner of her lips as she opened the bag. Inside was a BlackBerry. She smiled at his effort to improve her mood and experience with Stark Industries; but she couldn't help but wonder about the ulterior motives behind such a spontaneous, thoughtful gift.


	4. All Around Me

**Title:** All Around Me  
**Author: **Liz (leau08)  
**Theme: **#86 Engine Grease  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Length: **1600  
**Summary: **_"I can feel you all around me, thickening the air I'm breathing." _ -- Flyleaf "All Around Me"

**A/N:** I don't own anything.

* * *

Tony swore as the wrench slipped from his grip, he looked at his hand sternly, noticing the redness immediately. Wincing as he moved his fingers trying to exercise the new found tension out of the injury, he eyed the hot rod in front of him and suddenly wondered if he really needed another car; his garage already had seven cars in it. He knew it was redundant but he'd recently totaled one himself not too long ago, and that hurt, physically and emotionally. He didn't have much in his life, except things, like cars, business and of course, Pepper. "But I don't have anyone else but you..." The words escaped him as he realized the heavy truth behind it. Since his time in captivity he couldn't help but admire her, for so many reasons. Sure she was beautiful, a red head, with cold blue eyes, but there were so many other qualities. She was strong, intelligent, beautiful, and sarcastic; in a way, a feminine version of himself. How else was she able to put up with his humor otherwise? He thought with a smile. As he watched her enter the room, he could feel a smile tug at the corners of his lips. He rose from his position in front of the car, wiping his hands on an already dirty rag. He found himself thinking of Yinsen, how he'd remarked that he, the great Tony Stark, had everything and nothing. In the moment, he knew that wasn't entirely true, and the woman walking towards him was the reason why.

"Mr. Stark…" she began, her voice stern, nearly cold, the tone she assumed when she meant business.

"Tony…" he corrected her, firmly.

"_Tony_…you wanted to see me?"

"Yes…I need your help," he began, a smirk spreading across his features when he saw her tense at the request. Undoubtedly she was remembering the arc reactor incident. He looked at her, trying to wipe the undeniably goofy smile off his face, but it returned promptly when he saw her frustrated expression.

"I need your help on the car…there's a piece I can't quite reach, and well, I know you've got tiny hands."

"…on your car…" Pepper repeats, almost amused, raising an eyebrow.

He looked at her expectantly, wondering if she was going to hold that position and simply walk out of the shop, or actually help. In a way he _would_ find it amusing if she didn't do what he asked, for once. She sighed heavily, walking towards him; making it known she didn't like the current situation but was going to help.

"Thank you…" He says, handing her the wrench, "Just grab that little piece right there…I can't get a good grip."

Pepper sighs heavily, kneeling down in front of the car, tuning out whatever Tony is going on about, she never was one for mechanical engineering.

"…but be careful, turn too hard…and…" he stopped talking as a stream of black grease shot out and onto Pepper's shirt and jacket.

Immediately she jumped up and backwards, a short gasp of shock and anger escaping her throat as she did so. She turned to face Tony, her blue eyes slanted and cold.

"_Tony!!_" she nearly shrieked, "you should've warned me!"

"I tried to, Pepper," her name came out short and sarcastic, "you never listen."

He reached for a rag, making sure it was clean, well, as clean as it could possibly be. Pepper's eyes widened as he reached for her, obviously moving to try to help clean her up a little bit. While part of her was screaming to let him touch her, the logical side, the one desperate for control slapped his hand away. He looked at her, and immediately noted that she seemed as shocked as he was, her expression almost bordering on confused.

"I was only trying to help…" Tony began, slightly amused at how defeated he'd sounded.

She laughed, short, and sarcastic, "Yea…sure…I'm sure that's **all **you were trying to do…"

"Well, I would've suggested you changing your shirt…but I figured that would only make things worse," he quipped, a smirk forming at the corner of his lips.

"One could say the same to you…" Pepper responded, taking in his appearance. As soon as she let her eyes roam his body, she wished she hadn't; even more so when she let her eyes lock on his for a second, long enough to notice the devious spark in them.

"Potts…I do believe you're checking me out…" he mused, obviously finding the current situation humorous.

"I am not…I'm just assessing the amount of cleanup work to be done between now and the benefit later tonight…" she said, looking at his hair, the sweat still shining on his forehead from hours of hard work. She noted that dry cleaning would definitely be needed, his once white, wife beater a weird shade of brownish-grey from countless ounces of engine grease spread across the front. She looked back into his eyes, noticing he was looking back at her, his expression a balance between quizzical and amused.

"Will you be helping me cleanup then?" he asked, flirtatious energy slipping into his tone. He walked towards her, the rag still in his hand. She opened her mouth to protest, but instead nodded slowly; signaling it was ok to assist, but she would _definitely_ be watching where he put his hands. He wiped from the side of her neck to the edge of her collarbone, and again. Pepper closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus on anything but Tony's presence, his unmistakable heat and charisma, which radiated into her even with her resistance, his scent, Hugo Boss now mixed with the smell of his work. She didn't even have to open her eyes to know that he was looking at her with his trademark smirk, but she did, however, open her eyes when he'd stopped "helping" altogether. She looked at him then, wondering what he was going to do, when he made no movement, no advancement, she realized he was now waiting for her to return the favor. She swallowed, not realizing how tight her throat had gotten, how hard it had become to breath, she moved closer to him, reaching for the base of his shirt. She hesitated slightly, weighing all the possible outcomes; though the hesitation quickly melted away when she felt his muscles twitch under her touch. Suddenly she realized she had power over him just like he had over her. She slowly pulled his shirt over his head, letting her nails scratch his sides softly, unable to hide her smile when he shivered involuntarily. She quickly pulled it completely off, stepping back away from him, gasping when he grabbed her wrist.

"Mr. Stark –" the rest of what she was about to say caught in her throat when she noticed the look in his eyes. He snaked his hand so his fingers were now intertwined with hers, pulling her close. For once he was going to move slowly, because this time things were different. He moved closer to her, his dark eyes never leaving hers.

"I haven't excused you yet…" he said his tone so low and rough it almost surprised him. She gulped and nodded, knowing full well what was going to happen next, yet not entirely sure if she could handle the consequences. Her thoughts were broken by his lips sliding over hers; she nearly gasped in surprise, a soft whimper escaping her throat as he bit at her bottom lip.

He was content to move slowly, taking his time to tease her, willing her to want him as much as he'd desired her for the last six months. He smiled against her, and then he ran his tongue along her bottom lip, her willingness to comply surprising him. He turned so now he was backing her towards one of the many cars in his garage. She gasped, breaking away from him, as the cold metal touched her calves. He looked at her and smiled deviously, noticing she'd enjoyed that as much as he had, maybe even more so.

His hands reached for the bottom of her shirt now, pulling it up from her skirt, "You know…your shirt is just as dirty as mine, it should be sent out too."

Her gasp as he pulled her shirt over her head was silenced by his lips, forcing her to the edge of losing all control and he knew it. Her hands immediately went to his waist, either going for his belt, or trying to gain the upper hand in this situation. Either way, he was determined to maintain in control himself, but even that had become harder, now that he could feel her skin on his. His fingers traced up her spine, tickling every bone on the way; he swore he felt her stop breathing when his fingers came to the clasp of her bra.

"_Sir…" _Jarvis cut in, and Tony groaned in defeat, "_Sir…Rhodey has just come to the front door."_

Tony sighed, pushing back from Pepper, eyeing her carefully. Helping her gain her footing again, he pulled her close, sure that she would know exactly what she did to him.

"This isn't over yet…" he said against her ear, his voice came out in a ragged whisper, smirking when he felt her shiver. Clearly she was as drunk with lust as he was; he pulled back then, noticing her expression matched how he felt. Barely even letting her respond, he slowly moved his hands from her waist and left the workshop, cursing Rhodey under his breath.


	5. Spotlight

**Title:** Spotlight  
**Author: **Liz (leau08)  
**Theme: **#35 Honor  
**Rating: **PG  
**  
Summary: **Tony does something for Pepper for once.

**A/N:** I don't own anything.

The air on the coast was light and fresh, but the sky was painted grey, making a day at the office unwelcome at best. Though Tony Stark was never one to go to the office…on time anyway; besides, he assumed his assistant was already there anyway. He'd stayed up all night in the shop, again; even though Pepper had told him how bad it was for him to do that…something helped him clear his head when he was elbow deep in engine grease. It was his therapy, he'd told her on various occasions, and after the night he'd had, and he needed some time to think. He thought about how flustered she'd gotten when they'd danced, and wondered if she was right. He had insisted that it was harmless, but everyone knows that _perception is reality_.

"Put the system on lockdown, I won't be gone long," he said to Jarvis as he got up and grabbed a set of keys and headed to the garage.

He drove with his music blaring as always, however it didn't ease the tension in his mind. The last thing he wanted for Pepper is for her to lose her reputation. She was his assistant, and amazing at it, at that, he didn't want her degraded to the status of all the other women he'd slept with.

Parking the car, he walked with purpose towards the building, locking the car over his shoulder, not bothering to check if the remote had been effective. It wasn't until he heard her voice behind him as he checked her office for her presence that he realized how tense his entire body had become.

"Are you ok…?" she asked, her eyes searching his for reasons why he'd shown up unannounced; her voice so quiet that he almost had to strain to hear what she'd said.

"Yea…fine…" he said, though his words came out short and hesitant.

"Are you _sure_?" she asked, doubt evident in her tone; he wasn't sure but he thought there was some playfulness there too.

"Positive," he said, sounding more confident.

"Ok…I need to get some work done… I'll see you tonight, alright?" Pepper responded, turning to head back to her office.

"Actually…that's why I'm here," Tony said.

"What…work or tonight?" she asked, making it clear she was going to have her fun.

"Tonight…" he said, the unmistakable feeling of being 16 returning to his gut again.

Noticing she was showing signs of wanting to bolt, he opened his mouth to mention everything he'd been thinking of, and then reminded himself that they were in the heart of Stark Industries. It was neither the time nor the place to pour his heart out.

"I actually plan on eating tonight…" he said, a small smile playing on his features, "and well…I could use some company."

He watched her carefully, ignoring the clamminess of his palms. He watched her expression turn from disbelief to amusement, and couldn't hold back his own grin when she giggled softly. He thought he heard footsteps approaching, but he couldn't tell above the sounds of the office.

"Mr. Stark…is this your attempt at romance?"

"Sure it is! This can't be a new gesture…I'd think sleeping with the boss would get me all kinds of perks…" Scott said, slapping a hand on Tony's shoulder.

Tony's jaw clenched as he looked at Pepper, she'd shifted her focus to the copier, pretending to copy forms that he knew full well she'd already made copies of.

"Maybe you oughta check your facts before starting rumors…" he said, his voice low and threatening.

"Hey…I'm just joking…" Scott said, immediately releasing Tony's shoulder.

"Well, go joke with your other frat boy buddies about other people's personal lives…and _not _in the office," Tony continued, keeping his tone threatening, "and don't include the one who controls the income to your precious hooker and booze fund."

"OK, I –"

"May I remind you that not only am I your boss and have your address," Tony began, a sarcastic smirk briefly forming at the corners of his lips, "don't forget what kind of company you work for."

Tony smirked as Scott walked away, defeated. Turning his attention back to Pepper he noticed she was smiling, maybe even a touch of admiration in her eyes.

"Mr. Stark, I…."

Tony just winked, "Dinner tonight, then?"


End file.
